Abstract

Although minimization of blaming and denials of responsibility are key components of many approaches to couple therapy, there has been little attention paid to how partners absolve themselves of responsibility and counter attributions of blame. In this study, we used thematic analysis to examine 40 videorecorded sessions of couple therapy. The study shows that injuring partners denied responsibility for harm by shifting it to sources outside of themselves, thereby justifying their own actions and minimizing negative consequences. More subtle ways of deflecting responsibility—partial or qualified admission of fault—were also observed. The implications for couple therapy are discussed.

摘要

尽管尽量减少责备和否认责任是许多夫妻治疗方法的关键组成部分，但很少有人关注合作伙伴如何免除责任和反责责。在这项研究中，我们使用主题分析来检查 40 段夫妻治疗的录像。该研究表明，伤害伴侣通过将伤害转移到他们自己以外的来源来否认对伤害的责任，从而为自己的行为辩护并最大限度地减少负面后果。还观察到更微妙的转移责任的方式——部分或有条件地承认错误。讨论了夫妻治疗的意义。